If the pressure finally gets to the Arsenal board, and Arsene Wenger is dismissed as manager or not offered a contract for next season, Tony Adams has thrown his hat into the ring to replace him – but only if he can build a whole new team, as “no one could win” with the current crop.

The former Gunners captain, who is immortalised in statue
outside the Emirates, won 10 major trophies in 19 victorious years at the club
between 1983 and 2002. But his move into management has been far less
successful – relegated with Wycombe Wanderers, and sacked after 16 league matches as
permanent Portsmouth manager. His last role was taking charge of FC Gabala in
Azerbaijan but he left after an uneventful 18-month spell.

“One hundred per cent I'd like to be Arsenal manager,"
Adams told zapsportz.com.

"Of course my heart says 'yes, yes, yes', but my head
says 'can I win with this current team?' My answer is no, I can't and I am not
sure anyone can.

"I would want assurances if I walk through the door,
those assurances meaning I'm given the go ahead to build a new team.

"I would get my teeth into building a new team but to
achieve that, you would need to spend.

"To keep hitting the top four and qualifying for the
Champions League is great, and Arsene has done such a great job, but there is
going to come a day, and that won't be far away, when Arsene leaves.

Wenger, who has been in charge at Arsenal since October
1996, and has one year remaining on his contract, has come under renewed
criticism for his failure to make any significant signings during the transfer
window, with the Arsenal Supporters' Trust declaring it would be currently
"inappropriate" to offer him a new deal. Adams believes the man who
replaces him will have to take on a different role than the Frenchman’s “one-man
band” approach.

"For a long time he has been a one-man band, but that
won't happen again. The next man appointed will be the head coach, not the
manager."

Adams also believes a change of the club’s wage structure is
vital if they are to compete with the elite Premier League teams again.

"I know Arsene would not spend £25million on buying
Bayern's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for example, no matter how much he might need
a new keeper," Adams said.

"I think that is a great policy, but the club needs to
restructure its wages spend, that is a vastly different matter.

"The club are paying in excess of £150million on
players' wages but there have been a lot of average players on £50,000 a week
when the big teams now need four or five players on a lot of money.

"Arsenal do not attract those big players because of
their wages structure."

If Adams were to manage Arsenal, he says it would be the
more defensive-minded approach of his former manager at the club George Graham
that he would try to adopt, not the open style Wenger that is an advocate of.

"Also, Arsene
plays too open. I've more of a defensive eye,” Adams added. “That's not to say I
would be defensive, but the club have bought too many players like Santi
Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky and not enough Patrick Vieira types."